The present invention broadly relates to a dud de-arming device or de-arming insert for a projectile fuze.
In its more particular aspects, the dud de-arming device or de-arming insert for a projectile fuze is of the type wherein a booster or reinforcement charge is detonated by an explosive or firing train. The dud de-arming device or de-arming insert is located between the booster or reinforcement charge and the explosive or firing train. The dud de-arming device or insert comprises a rotor which can be moved out of its armed or live position into a de-armed or inert or safety position. There is also provided an escapement device or mechanism which, following a deceleration or delay time, moves the rotor out of its armed or live position into its de-armed or safety position. Additionally, there are provided means which trigger or activate the escapement device or mechanism due to the impact deceleration or delay.
Such a dud de-arming device or insert, in other words an apparatus for de-arming a fuze of a projectile in the event it has not detonated at the target after a certain amount of time is known in different constructional embodiments. In this regard attention is particularly directed to U.S. Pat. No. 4,726,294, granted Feb. 23, 1988 and also to the European Published Patent Application 0,227,919. In such patent documentation there is described an impact fuze which can automatically de-arm itself in a projectile which has become a dud. A dud de-arming device or insert is located in this impact fuze between an explosive or firing train and a booster or reinforcement charge. This dud de-arming device comprises an escapement device or mechanism which moves a rotor after a certain delay or deceleration time out of its armed or live position into a de-armed or inert or safety position. There are provided means which trigger or activate the escapement device or mechanism as a result of the impact delay or deceleration upon impact of the projectile at the target.
This state-of-the-art dud de-arming device or insert is afflicted with the drawback that it cannot be retrofitted in existing fuzes, rather only can be installed in a new appropriately constructed fuze.